County Louth Oral History Archive

Introduction to the County Louth Oral History Project

In 2005 Louth County Archives Service established an official County Oral History Archive collection. An archivist travelled around the county and recorded many interviews or oral histories with people across the whole spectrum of Louth society – politicians, businessmen, fishermen, elderly, clergy, voluntary groups, and some past and present staff of Louth Local Authorities. People talked about their lives, where they lived, what their jobs were like.

Once the interviews were recorded, copies were made for preservation and access purposes. Then the enormous task of transcribing the interviews took place, before they could be made available to those researching various aspects of the county's development. In addition, copies of some interviews carried out by others in the past were donated to the archive and we are grateful to have these in the collection.

Through recounting their experiences, the people of Louth have provided a wonderfully rich source of documentary material. This heritage is vulnerable to destruction if not properly recorded and preserved to archival standard. The County Archives Service now acts as a central research facility, ensuring that public access to these insights can be combined with data from other archives and documentary sources. In this way, we are able to provide a history that is richer, more complete and more accurate than if either method were used alone.